This work has examined the influence of ultrasonic-assisted air-drying on the dehydration of apple (Malus domestica L. var Royal Gala) and its influence in the availability of vitamins A, B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , B 5 , B 6 , and E of the dried product. This study also has estimated the effective water diffusivity in air-drying process subjected to ultrasonic waves. The water effective diffusivity increased by up to 79 % by ultrasound application, which caused a reduction of about 35 % in the total drying time compared to the air-drying without sonication. The application of ultrasound increased the availability of vitamins B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , and B 6 in the dried product. A loss of vitamins B 5 and E were observed for all studied drying conditions.Keywords Malus domestica L. . Apple . Drying .
Ultrasound . Vitamins
Notations aHalf-length of the cubic sample (m) ABS Sample Sample (dried apple) absorbance ABS Reference Control (raw apple) absorbance D Effective diffusivity (m 2 /s) t Time (s) W Average moisture content of the fruit (g water /g dry solids ) W crit Critical moisture content (g water /g dry solids ) W eq Equilibrium moisture content (g water /g dry solids )